Aliens like the one above have just taken over the world.
They announce that all people are to learn and "internalize" (see definition here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/internalize) the aliens' superior cultural practices and beliefs.
The cultural practices of all people are to be eliminated.
In your resistance groups answer the following questions. Be sure to create a strategy to resist the aliens, maintain as much of your cultural identity as possible, yet still absorb elements of the alien culture. Consider the following questions in preparing your resistance movement's actions. First off, create a name for your group, and enter it onto the wikispace.
What forms of resistance would you take against the aliens? What would be the risks.
What cultural elements of human society would you seek to keep? Create a list, or lists of categories of things, ideas, and practices that you would want to keep. After all, these are what make us who we are.
What would your group seek to adopt from the aliens? Why?
What would your group seek to reject from the alien culture? Why?
What you will experience is not unlike what it must have been like for any people that has ever been subjugated to an imperial power. Admitedly, the imperial power, or imperialist had to be superior in some ways; that is how they would have been able to subjugate a people, but they were not superior in all ways. Yes, people did resist, and still many cooperated with the imperialist for personal gain, and, in many cases for their own people's benefit years down the road. After all, the imperialists did have somethings to offer.
What you have gained from this experience, albeit fantasy, is what one would want for his/her people in the face of this incredibly powerful foreign power.
In the following lessons we will be looking at the cause and especially the effects of imperialism in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In each region, indeed in each country, the experience might not be identical to another. For example, China's experience was markedly different from that of Africa's for several reasons. Obviously, Chinese culture had advanced considerably beyond African culture in terms of technology, and especially in governance. That is, China had a beaucratic government; the impersonal administrative duties of government were carried out by professionals. These were people that functioned for the sole purpose of administering government decrees. Whereas in Africa, no such impersonal workings of government truly existed. The largest society that the Europeans encountered, the Zulu nation, was primarily administered by a "Big Chief" who would announce what was to be done, or not. In the absence of a written language records were not available for any sort of impersonal workings to take place. Decisions were made personally in the face of those who would be affected. Yet both these societies were controlled in some way by an imperialist power. Both had been defeated militarily. And both were defeated by exploiting an internal weakness.
Class Debate
You will be told which side of the following issue you will be on. In preparation, be sure to create an argument (a detailed position that is supported by logic) and evidence (case studies and/or examples which can be historical, contemporary, or theoretical) which supports your argument. The should be posted below under your name. You will have 20 minutes of class in which to debate the following question. Be it resolved that some cultures are more superior to others.
What is Imperialism?
Here's just one young person's interpretation which seems to hit the nail on the head.
"By 'imperialism' I mean the process whereby the dominant politico-economic interests of one nation expropriate for their own enrichment the land, labor, raw materials, and markets of another people."
Read "Imperialism in the Modern Age" from Bonnie J. Smith's Imperialism: A History in Documents. (Be sure you take notes from this reading). (due Jan. 9th)
Consider the following editorial cartoon after reading Kipling's The White Man's Burden What is the cartoonist's message?
Africa and Europe Relations (1450-1890) (J. Spivey, 2009)
Part 1- A Brief History of the Relationship Between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe
The Period of Initial Contact (1450-1530)
The initial reason for Europe's contact with Sub-Saharan Africa was that many countries within Europe were trying to find a way to bypass Muslim traders that dominated the land routes through the Middle-East and Northern Africa.
The country to first explore Sub-Saharan Africa was the Portuguese. They landed on the west side of the continent (modern day Ghana and Nigeria) and established ports for the purpose of resupplying their expeditions while trying to find a route to India, China and the Spice Islands.
There was a small amount of legitimate trading on the coast of western Africa. Items included gold, ivory and coconuts. Compared to India, China and the Spice Islands, there was very little economic interest in the region.
Africa's east coast and interior were not explored. It was perceived as a dangerous and dark place. The Portuguese did not start "exploring" the east coast of Africa until the 1530's when it needed to supply China and India with gold at a more constant rate. At this period of time, Africa was simply a nuisance for those trying to establish trade routes with the "East."
The Enslavement of Sub-Saharan Africans to the Americas (1490's-1880's)
Slavery began prior to this era but became more of a widespread practice in Europe and the Americas because of Europeans' 'sweet tooth' for tobacco, sugar and rum.
The amount of Africans that were displaced during this time period is very much disputed. Some estimate as few as 6 million to as many as 30 million people were taken from the interior of Africa and shipped over to the Americas.
As Europe started to dominate the world, a feeling of superiority started to spread throughout the region. The idea of Eurocentrism, the belief that those from Europe were from a superior bloodline, took root. The concept of "race" started to be used during this time period. This easily allowed the human mind to justify social structures. Eventually, the word "slave" became associated with black Africans, this was how African slavery became both accepted and justified.
When slavery became illegal in both Europe and the Americas, a majority of European nations started to lose interest in the region. At this point, Africans were seen as savage animals or at least lesser humans by most Europeans. This belief was fueled by Charles Darwin's theories. A new concept known as Social Darwinism became very popular among educated circles.
The Age of Land Exploration in Sub-Saharan Africa (1840-1890)
Even though traders were losing interest in Sub-Saharan Africa (only palm oil and ground nuts which were low in profit margin compared to slavery), a rising social class in Europe started to take notice of its raw materials. Take a guess....
Yes! Europe needed raw materials to produce goods and Sub-Saharan Africa had an abundance of such raw materials.
Between 1840-1890, explorers started to go into the interior of Africa. As each country started to send more and more expeditions out, it became clear that a fierce competition was starting to develop for access to African resources.
Europe had been in relative peace after the Congress of Vienna, which was a direct cause of Napoleon's takeover of Europe. Through the Congress's established policy of "balance of power," no one country was stronger than another, but with the scramble for Africa taking in full swing, there were hints of war in the air once again. Business interests really began the tensions between nations rather than the governments themselves.
Instead of going to war, a conference was set up by the major European powers. Today, that conference is know as the Berlin Conference and you just simulated it. What lesson did you learn from the simulation?
What were the direct effects of colonization? This opened up a floodgate for European powers to set up colonies and spread Christianity and industrialization throughout Africa and eventually a majority of the world.
Motives
Business: Access to natural resources and goods of Africa, Asia and Middle East
Nationalism: Growing sense of national identities and pride fueling competition between European states
Global dominance: Desire to establish global empire and overseas colonies were a means to do that
Racism: Belief in Darwin's theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest made Europeans think they were superior to all other cultures
Technology: Development of the following technologies were crucial to conquest of the world.
Penetration: Quinine to cure malaria and steamships to rapidly access interior regions of countries
Weapons: Rapid-fire rifles and machine guns
Consolidation: waterways like Suez Canal, steamship lines, cables and railroads allowed Europeans to stay in closer contact and gain easier access to their holdings
Over the course of this unit, we have been examining imperialism from both a European and African perspective. As your first reading explained, imperialism in the 19th century was a global phenomenon. Now that we have examined the causes of imperialism, we must tell the rest of the story from both perspectives and the consequences of global imperialism.
In teams, you will read about one part of the world that was overtaken, colonized, and exploited by Europe. Together, you will tell both sides of the story for the region you have been assigned. Finally, you will summarize what the consequences of imperialism were for your region. You will do this in two ways.
1. Storytelling Presentation: As budding historians, you need to develop into captivating storytellers. Until the modern era, this is how history was spread. Your team will need to develop a captivating story to tell your classmates. Within your story, you will need to share both perspectives: the European and the indigenous. To conclude your story, you will need to summarize the consequences for your region. Your presentation should last 10-12 minutes. Any presentation that lasts more than 12 minutes will be penalized a letter grade for each additional minute.
2. PowerPoint Presentation: As a reference for your classmates, your team must collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation that will be posted on your team's Wikispaces page. The PowerPoint must clearly share the perspectives of Europeans and the indigenous as shared in your class presentation. Your PowerPoint must also conclude with a summary of the consequences for your region. The PowerPoint may be used to supplement your class presentation, but if your team simply reads the PowerPoint to the class, your team will fail this project.Due for presentation: January 14, 2009.
Your regions and reading assignments are as follows in Modern World History :
Scroll down to the era entitled, Spheres of Influence, 1776-1914, and find your region there. If you want to conduct additional research outside of the sources recommended to you, that is fine but remember that you will have to cite all sources. In addition, please remember not to plagiarize. If you are not sure if you are plagiarizing, please see your teacher for assistance.
3. Rubric: This project will be worth 50 points, and you will be assessed on this project as follows:
Predator Aliens
Assume that the following has happened:
- Aliens like the one above have just taken over the world.
- They announce that all people are to learn and "internalize" (see definition here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/internalize) the aliens' superior cultural practices and beliefs.
- The cultural practices of all people are to be eliminated.
In your resistance groups answer the following questions. Be sure to create a strategy to resist the aliens, maintain as much of your cultural identity as possible, yet still absorb elements of the alien culture. Consider the following questions in preparing your resistance movement's actions. First off, create a name for your group, and enter it onto the wikispace.- What forms of resistance would you take against the aliens? What would be the risks.
- What cultural elements of human society would you seek to keep? Create a list, or lists of categories of things, ideas, and practices that you would want to keep. After all, these are what make us who we are.
- What would your group seek to adopt from the aliens? Why?
- What would your group seek to reject from the alien culture? Why?
Group 1Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
What you will experience is not unlike what it must have been like for any people that has ever been subjugated to an imperial power. Admitedly, the imperial power, or imperialist had to be superior in some ways; that is how they would have been able to subjugate a people, but they were not superior in all ways. Yes, people did resist, and still many cooperated with the imperialist for personal gain, and, in many cases for their own people's benefit years down the road. After all, the imperialists did have somethings to offer.
What you have gained from this experience, albeit fantasy, is what one would want for his/her people in the face of this incredibly powerful foreign power.
In the following lessons we will be looking at the cause and especially the effects of imperialism in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In each region, indeed in each country, the experience might not be identical to another. For example, China's experience was markedly different from that of Africa's for several reasons. Obviously, Chinese culture had advanced considerably beyond African culture in terms of technology, and especially in governance. That is, China had a beaucratic government; the impersonal administrative duties of government were carried out by professionals. These were people that functioned for the sole purpose of administering government decrees. Whereas in Africa, no such impersonal workings of government truly existed. The largest society that the Europeans encountered, the Zulu nation, was primarily administered by a "Big Chief" who would announce what was to be done, or not. In the absence of a written language records were not available for any sort of impersonal workings to take place. Decisions were made personally in the face of those who would be affected. Yet both these societies were controlled in some way by an imperialist power. Both had been defeated militarily. And both were defeated by exploiting an internal weakness.
Class Debate
You will be told which side of the following issue you will be on. In preparation, be sure to create an argument (a detailed position that is supported by logic) and evidence (case studies and/or examples which can be historical, contemporary, or theoretical) which supports your argument. The should be posted below under your name. You will have 20 minutes of class in which to debate the following question.Be it resolved that some cultures are more superior to others.
What is Imperialism?
Here's just one young person's interpretation which seems to hit the nail on the head.For a more academic interpretation consider reading http://www.michaelparenti.org/Imperialism101.html
"By 'imperialism' I mean the process whereby the dominant politico-economic interests of one nation expropriate for their own enrichment the land, labor, raw materials, and markets of another people."
Modern Imperialism: The Beginning
- Read Whiteman's Burden + complete questions (due Jan. 9th)
WhiteMansBurden.doc
- Details
- Download
- 32 KB
- Read Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest"
Darwin Excerpts.doc
- Details
- Download
- 31 KB
- Read "Imperialism in the Modern Age" from Bonnie J. Smith's Imperialism: A History in Documents. (Be sure you take notes from this reading). (due Jan. 9th)
Consider the following editorial cartoon after reading Kipling's The White Man's BurdenAfrica and Europe Relations (1450-1890) (J. Spivey, 2009)
Part 1- A Brief History of the Relationship Between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe
The Period of Initial Contact (1450-1530)
The Enslavement of Sub-Saharan Africans to the Americas (1490's-1880's)
The Age of Land Exploration in Sub-Saharan Africa (1840-1890)
Motives
Penetration: Quinine to cure malaria and steamships to rapidly access interior regions of countries
Weapons: Rapid-fire rifles and machine guns
Consolidation: waterways like Suez Canal, steamship lines, cables and railroads allowed Europeans to stay in closer contact and gain easier access to their holdings
Berlin Conference Map - Jenn Kim 9G
Imperialism in Africa
Imperialism Jigsaw Challenge (J. Spivey, 2009)
Over the course of this unit, we have been examining imperialism from both a European and African perspective. As your first reading explained, imperialism in the 19th century was a global phenomenon. Now that we have examined the causes of imperialism, we must tell the rest of the story from both perspectives and the consequences of global imperialism.
In teams, you will read about one part of the world that was overtaken, colonized, and exploited by Europe. Together, you will tell both sides of the story for the region you have been assigned. Finally, you will summarize what the consequences of imperialism were for your region. You will do this in two ways.
1. Storytelling Presentation: As budding historians, you need to develop into captivating storytellers. Until the modern era, this is how history was spread. Your team will need to develop a captivating story to tell your classmates. Within your story, you will need to share both perspectives: the European and the indigenous. To conclude your story, you will need to summarize the consequences for your region. Your presentation should last 10-12 minutes. Any presentation that lasts more than 12 minutes will be penalized a letter grade for each additional minute.
2. PowerPoint Presentation: As a reference for your classmates, your team must collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation that will be posted on your team's Wikispaces page. The PowerPoint must clearly share the perspectives of Europeans and the indigenous as shared in your class presentation. Your PowerPoint must also conclude with a summary of the consequences for your region. The PowerPoint may be used to supplement your class presentation, but if your team simply reads the PowerPoint to the class, your team will fail this project. Due for presentation: January 14, 2009.
Your regions and reading assignments are as follows in Modern World History :
Africa p. 305-315 (sub-Sahara) Members of Africa
India p.321-325 Members of India
Middle East (include North Africa) p.317-320 Members of the Middle East
South East Asia, and the Pacific Islands p. 326-329 & p. 334-339 Members of S.E. Asia
China (include Korea and Taiwan) Members of China
Latin America (includes the Caribbean) p. 344-347 Members of Latin America
In addition, check out ABC-CLIO to supplement the textbook. First, you will need to sign into ABC-CLIO.
Sign In: KIS
Password: welcome
Once signed in go to: http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Eras/Default.aspx
Scroll down to the era entitled, Spheres of Influence, 1776-1914, and find your region there. If you want to conduct additional research outside of the sources recommended to you, that is fine but remember that you will have to cite all sources. In addition, please remember not to plagiarize. If you are not sure if you are plagiarizing, please see your teacher for assistance.
3. Rubric: This project will be worth 50 points, and you will be assessed on this project as follows: